Professional Staff »

Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal
Senior Rabbi
[email protected]
404.603.5744

Rabbi Sam Blustin
Associate Rabbi
[email protected]
404.351.6070

Rabbi Neil Sandler
Rabbi Emeritus
[email protected]

Jill Rosner
Executive Assistant to the Rabbis
[email protected]
404.603.5741

Barry Herman
Executive Director
[email protected]
404.603.5746

Catherine Ficke
Executive Assistant to the
Executive Director and Office Manager
[email protected]
404.603.5747

Miriam Habif Gelfond
Director of Outreach and Engagement
[email protected]
404.603.5749

Annsley Klehr
Interim Director of Education
[email protected]
404.603.5754

Jackie Nix
Director of Community Connection
[email protected]
404.603.5743

Lauren Dube
Director of Marketing
[email protected]
404.603.5745

Chris Carr
Director of Facilities
[email protected]
404.603.5758

Beth Arnold Helmey
Director of Ahava Early Learning Center
[email protected]
404.900.9411

Stan Vogel
Finance Manager
[email protected]
404.603.5751

Fern Schorr
Receptionist
[email protected]
404.355.5222

Investigator Joe Jones IV
Director of Security
[email protected]

Jordan Forman
Ritual Director
[email protected]
404.603.5753

Wesley Coney
Facilities

Deionta Huff
Facilities

Ken Johnson
Facilities

Selichot—Saturday, September 9
7:15 p.m	Mincha/Ma’ariv/Havdallah Service	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom Join Zoom
8:30–10 p.m.	Selichot with Shearith Israel	In-Person: Shearith Israel Register
Sunday, September 10
10:00 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery 1:30 p.m. at Arlington Memorial Park	High Holiday Cemetery Memorial Services	In-Person: Greenwood Cemetery and Arlington Memorial Park
2–4:00 p.m.	Reverse Tashlich	In-Person: Peachtree Creek Greenway Register by 9/7
Erev Rosh Hashanah—Friday, September 15
7:15–8:45 a.m.	Morning Minyan	Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
6:00 p.m.	Mincha/Ma’ariv Service	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YouTube
7:26 p.m.	Candle Lighting
Rosh Hashanah Day 1—Saturday, September 16
8–9:30 a.m.	Coffee and Breakfast Oneg	In-Person: Breezeway
8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Rosh Hashanah Morning Service	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YouTube
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Family Service	In-Person: Outdoor Tent
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Torah Study Led by Michael Miller “Finding our Personal Prayer in the High Holiday Liturgy”: Prayer is a central element of the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah, and then especially during the Yamim Noraim. We are all familiar with the prayers in our liturgy, but what about personal prayers, prayers for which we do not have a template or formula? The Torah and Haftarah readings for today provide three different models of personal prayer which we will examine, discuss, and contrast. Source Sheet	In-Person: Ellman Chapel Virtual: Zoom Join Via Zoom
10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.	Apple Tasting We will hold an Apple Tasting where there will be multiple tables, each labeled with two varieties of apples. Adults and children can vote for their favorites in each category!	In-Person: Lobby
10:30 a.m.–End of RH Service	Children’s Programming	In-Person: Check-In at Cavalier Room
12:30–1:15 p.m.	Oneg and Light Kiddush	In-Person: Srochi Auditorium
1:15–1:45 p.m.	Mincha Service	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YoutTube
7:45–8:15 p.m.	Ma’ariv Service	Virtual: Zoom Join Via Zoom
8:08 p.m.	Candle Lighting
Rosh Hashanah Day 2—Sunday, September 17
8–9:30 a.m.	Coffee and Breakfast Oneg	In-Person: Breezeway
8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Rosh Hashanah Morning Service	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YoutTube
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Torah Study Led by Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal “Crowning God: An Exploration into Divine Coronation:” An important theme of the High Holidays is the crowning of God as sovereign, where God takes a seat on the divine throne. Join Rabbi Rosenthal on the second day of Rosh Hashanah as we will explore one of the reoccurring prayers of this High holiday season – L’El Orekh Din Source Sheet	Hybrid: Paradies Hall and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
10:15 a.m.–End of RH Service	Children’s Programming	In-Person: Check-In at Cavalier Room
12:30 p.m.	Tashlich	In-Person: Meet at the Outdoor Tent where we will walk to the corner of Peachtree Battle Ave NW and Woodward Way
7:30 p.m.	Mincha Ma’ariv Service	Virtual: Zoom Join Zoom
8:07 p.m.	Havdallah
Kol Nidre—Sunday, September 24
5–5:30 pm	Family Kol Nidre Service	In-Person: Breezeway Virtual: Zoom Join Via Zoom
5:30 p.m.	Vegan Kapparot Yom Kippur challenges us to cleanse our souls from missteps over the past year. Our tradition seeks to imbue the ethereal nature of our good and evil, right a wrong into an object that can be consumed, cast out, or flung away. Kapparot seeks to take that which is weighing us down and swing it over our heads, casting it far away from us. We have reclaimed this medieval ritual for our modern spiritual life, replacing the killing of a chicken with the righteous act of tzedakah. Join Rabbi Rosenthal in the garden as we recite our prayers, imbue a bag of money with our regrets for the past year, and swing it over our heads, thereby turning our shortcomings into acts of loving kindness to help others. The Joseph family chicken will be on site… for petting only.	In-Person: Garden
6:10 p.m.	Mincha Service	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YouTube
6:30 p.m.	Kol Nidre Service
7:00 p.m.	Ma’ariv Service
7:13 p.m.	Candle Lighting
Yom Kippur—Monday, September 25
8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.	Yom Kippur Morning Service Yizkor Service begins around 12:30 p.m.	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YouTube
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Yom Kippur Family Service	In-Person: Outdoor Tent
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Torah Study Led by Judy Marx “G’mar Hatimah Tova—Getting the Seal of Approval”: Getting sealed in the The Book of Life is one of the most powerful images of the High Holy Days. Our High Holiday Mahzor is filled with references to books we should be sealed into: Life, Redemption, Sustenance, Merit, and Forgiveness (see Avinu Malkeinu). What are we really asking for when we pray to be sealed into these “books?” Does it imply that after Yom Kippur the fate of everyone is sealed for the rest of the year? We will look at texts and liturgy to better understand this image as one of the motivators for repentance. Source Sheet	In-Person: Ellman Chapel Virtual: Zoom Join Via Zoom
10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.	Children’s Programming	In-Person: Check-In at Cavalier Room
1:30–3:00 p.m.	Beit Midrash (Study Hall) Led by Dr. Andy Zangwill “Yom Kippur in Hell” is the title of the last short story written by the celebrated Yiddish writer Isaac Peretz. Andrew Zangwill will read the story aloud and lead a discussion of its themes. The text will be supplied so attendees (real and virtual) can read along. Source Sheet	In-Person: Ellman Chapel Virtual: Zoom Join Via Zoom
3–5:15 p.m.	Drum Circle with SunMoonPie	In-Person: Paradies Hall
5:15 p.m.	Mincha Service Reading of the Book of Jonah	In-Person: Sanctuary Virtual: Zoom and YouTube Join Via Zoom Watch on YouTube
6:30 p.m.	Neilah Service
7:41 p.m.	Ma’ariv and Final Shofar Blast
7:55 p.m.	Havdallah

Selichot – Saturday, September 17
7:15 p.m	Mincha/Ma’ariv/Havdallah Service	Hybrid: Ellman Chapel and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
8:10 p.m.	Selichot Service	Hybrid: Ellman Chapel and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
Erev Rosh Hashanah – Sunday, September 25
9–10:30 a.m.	Morning Minyan	Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
6:00 p.m.	Mincha/Ma’ariv Service	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
7:12 p.m.	Candle Lighting
Rosh Hashanah Day 1 – Monday, September 26
8–9:00 a.m.	Coffee and Schmooze Co-sponsored by Sisterhood	In-Person: Garden
8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Rosh Hashanah Service	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
9–10:00 a.m.	Family Service	In-Person: Outdoor Tent
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Torah Study Led by Dr. Andrew Zangwill “Happy Birthday World!”: After each Rosh Hashanah shofar blast, we chant a short poem which begins “hayom harat olam,” a phrase often translated as “today the world was born.”  This session examines this (and other) translations of ”hayom harat olam”  and teases out their meaning for us today. Andy Zangwill is a native of Pittsburgh and is somehow related to the British Zionist Israel Zangwill. He has taught physics at Georgia Tech since 1985 and has helped administer the AA Torah Study since 2000.	Hybrid: Cavalier Room and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
10:00 a.m.–End of RH Service	Children’s Programming (0–5th Grade)	In-Person: Check-In at Ahava ELC
12:30–1:00 p.m.	Oneg and Light Kiddush	In-Person: Garden
6–7:00 p.m.	Mincha/Ma’ariv Service	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
7:54 p.m.	Candle Lighting
Rosh Hashanah Day 2 – Tuesday, September 27
8–9:00 a.m.	Coffee and Schmooze	In-Person: Garden
8:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Rosh Hashanah Service	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
9:00 a.m.–End of RH Service	Children’s Programming (0–5th Grade)	In-Person: Check-In at Ahava ELC
9:30 a.m.	Torah Study Led by Dr. Paul Feldman “From Yom Teruah to Rosh Hashanah – A Rabbinic Journey”: The torah instructs us that, on the first day of the seventh month, there should be “teruah.” From that, it becomes a New Year where, hopefully, our Father, our King, inscribes us in the book of life. Let’s explore the rabbinic mindset that defines us as Jews. Paul Feldman has attended AA’s Shabbat Torah Study religiously for over 20 years. His interests include the historical aspects of Tanakh and the intellectual history of b’nai Yisrael through the ages.	Hybrid: Paradies Hall and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
12:30 p.m.	Tashlich	In-Person: Outdoor Tent
7:30 p.m.	Mincha/Ma’ariv/Havdallah Service	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
Aseret Y’mei Teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance) – Sunday, October 2
9–10:30 a.m.	Morning Minyan	Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.	Family Taslich and Picnic with Shofar Blowing	In-Person: Morgan Falls Overlook Park
2–4:00 p.m.	Reverse Tashlich	In-Person: Peachtree Creek Greenway Register
6–7:00 p.m.	Evening Minyan	Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
Kol Nidre – Tuesday, October 4
5–5:30 pm	Family Service	Hybrid: Breezeway and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
5:30–6:15 p.m.	Vegan Kapparot Yom Kippur challenges us to cleanse our souls from missteps over the past year. Our tradition seeks to imbue the ethereal nature of our good and evil, right a wrong into an object that can be consumed, cast out, or flung away. Kapparot seeks to take that which is weighing us down and swing it over our heads, casting it far away from us. We have reclaimed this medieval ritual for our modern spiritual life, replacing the killing of a chicken with the righteous act of tzedakah. Join Rabbi Rosenthal in the garden as we will recite our prayers, imbue a bag of money with our regrets for the past year, and swing it over our heads, thereby turning our shortcomings into acts of loving kindness to help others. Farmer Joe and his chicken will be on site… for petting only.	In-Person: Garden
6:10 p.m.	Mincha Service	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
6:30 p.m.	Kol Nidre Service
7:00 p.m.	Ma’ariv Service
Yom Kippur – Wednesday, October 5
8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.	Yom Kippur and Yizkor Services Yizkor Service begins around 12:30 p.m. 5783 Yizkor Book Supplement	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
9–10:00 a.m.	Family Service	In-Person: Outdoor Tent
9:30–10:30 a.m.	Torah Study Led by Judy Marx “Everything Old is New Again”: This session explores how understanding our history through Yom Kippur’s Torah reading and liturgy lead us to repentance and forgiveness. Judy Marx is a long-time Jewish community professional. She was the Atlanta Director of the American Jewish Committee for twelve years and is currently with the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta. In her free time she consults with interfaith organizations and prepares for Torah Study at AA.	Hybrid: Cavalier Room and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
10:00 a.m.–End of YK Service	Children’s Programming (0–5th Grade)	In-Person: Check-In at Ahava ELC
2:30–4:00 p.m.	Beit Midrash (Study Hall) Led by Dr. Dennis Gilbride “The Golden Calf, Consuming Fire, Atonement, and Forgiveness”: This session focuses on two relatively well known, but under-studied stories in the Torah: the Golden Calf and the death of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu.  By exploring midrashim and ideas that tie these two episodes together, we will provide an interesting and provocative understanding of the Jewish approach to atonement, forgiveness, and connection to G-d. Dennis Gilbride has been a professor for 32 years, first at Syracuse University and, for the last ten years, at Georgia State University in its Department of Counseling and Psychological Services. He began his career at Drake University in Des Moines Iowa where he and his family were congregants of Neil Sandler, AA’s Rabbi Emeritus.	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
4–6:30 p.m.	Chanting with SunMoonPie	Hybrid: Paradies Hall and Virtual (Zoom) Join Zoom
5:30 p.m.	Mincha Service Reading of the Book of Jonah	Hybrid: Srochi Auditorium and Virtual (Zoom and Live Stream) Join Zoom
6:30 p.m.	Neilah Service
7:41 p.m.	Ma’ariv/Havdallah and Final Shofar Blast

*Updates*

Updates